Final 12 months’s winner Nick Rockett has been withdrawn from this weekend’s Grand Nationwide at Aintree.
Nick Rockett – skilled by Willie Mullins and ridden by his son Patrick – completed two-and-a-half lengths away from 2024 winner I Am Maximus 12 months in the past, however has been declared a non-runner having been reported to be coughing.
He was making an attempt to turn out to be simply the second back-to-back winner since Pink Rum was a triple champion within the Seventies.
When the 2026 subject was introduced on Wednesday, Patrick had opted to journey final 12 months’s third-placed horse Grangeclare West as an alternative, with Tom Bellamy surprisingly selecting up the journey on Nick Rockett.
First reserve Pied Piper, who’s skilled by three-time winner Gordon Elliott, has taken the spare place within the 34-runner subject.
I Am Maximus is the 7-1 favourite for the race, however should turn out to be the primary prime weight to win the race since Pink Rum in 1974.
He shall be ridden by Paul Townend for the third 12 months in a row – certainly one of eight Mullins-trained horses now within the subject – as he seems to be to turn out to be the primary coach to win the race in three successive years since Vincent O’Brien between 1953 and 1955.
Townend completed second to 33-1 likelihood Nick Rockett in last year’s race, when Mullins horses claimed the primary three positions.
The Grand Nationwide begins at 16:00 BST on Saturday.
